







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | |
| You sound like a mix of British and Australian. | |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | |
| Hi there, it's not Dick, it's Nick... Starts with N. | |
| As I'm a smoker, I prefer sitting outside. | |
| Hmm.. yes, we get on really well. | |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | |
| It seems there is no one in the house! | |
| Does anyone else want something to drink? | |
| Bear is okay with cats, but definitely not with dogs. | |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | |
| Yeah, it's open here already... | |
| Well, I'm used to getting bad news today, what's that? | |
| What else could I do? Do you expect me not to sleep till I die? | |
| Are you the only smoker in the house? | |
| That's why the rent is much lower than average. | |